In addition to the generally recognized citrus fruits, such as lemon, orange, tangerine, and grapefruit, there is a specimen that is equally interesting in taste - pomelo. The not very popular, but tasty exotic fruit pomelo can be of impressive size, almost like a watermelon, spherical or pear-shaped. Mostly medium-sized fruits are brought into stores, but even fruit of this weight is unlikely to be consumed in one go. Therefore, it is important to know how to store pomelo.
How to choose a pomelo
When purchasing a pomelo, you should pay close attention to the appearance of the fruit. The fact is that overripe fruit cannot be stored; you will have to eat it right away, and its taste will leave much to be desired. The spoiled fruit will simply have to be thrown away.
When choosing a broom, you should be guided by the following parameters:
- uniform color of the fruit shell – green or yellow;
- absence of darkened areas on the peel;
- the color should not be red or burgundy, because these are signs of a sick fetus;
- a juicy fruit will have a peel of uniform density (except for the place where the fruit is attached to the tree, where the peel is harder and stronger);
- the pulp of delicious citrus will be white, pink or yellow;
- The smell of a fresh pomelo will be orange, grapefruit or pine, depending on the variety.
Pomelo does not come in small size, no smaller than a medium grapefruit, of which it is a variety.
How to store pomelo
Not many people know how to properly store pomelo, because this fruit is not as popular as, say, an orange. Pomelo is the largest representative of citrus fruits. The weight of one fruit can reach 10 kg, so how can you eat it at once? Of course, you can find smaller fruits on sale, but small pomelo also needs certain storage conditions. Therefore, it is important to know where to store pomelo and how long you can do this with peeled fruit. Not all fruits of this exotic plant can be stored. You need to be able to choose the right pomelo; to do this, you need to pay attention to such external signs of quality as uniform coloring, the absence of growths and damage on the skin, and a strong citrus aroma. The shelf life of pomelo depends, first of all, on the quality and degree of freshness of the fruit. Now let’s talk directly about how long pomelo can be stored and how to store it.
The most important thing in storing a pomelo
The pomelo can also be stored on the balcony, the main thing is to cover it from light and sunlight.
Even in an airtight container in the refrigerator, a cut pomelo will quickly lose its juiciness.
It is not recommended to freeze this citrus, like its other brethren.
Storing a whole pomelo fruit in the refrigerator
The best way to preserve pomelo is in the refrigerator. It is worth remembering that this fruit cannot be frozen. Storage is possible at positive temperatures.
Ripe fruit can be stored for an average of 2 months. The optimal temperature is +5, but the permissible limit is from 0 to +8. It is good to store pomelo in a special compartment for fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator.
Fruits need to be checked regularly for freshness. If the broomstick rots, it should be thrown away, otherwise it will “infect” neighboring fruits, and they will quickly deteriorate.
To preserve the freshness and taste of citrus longer, a thin layer of vegetable oil is applied to its surface. A thin film of vegetable fat prevents the fruit from drying out and maintains its juiciness.
For better storage, the pomelo can be wrapped (each fruit) in paper or cling film. It is good if the fruits do not touch their sides.
Storage rules
Like all citrus fruits, fresh pomelo should be kept in a dark place with a low air temperature.
- The optimal storage temperature for pomelo is +5°C. In such conditions, the fetus is preserved for up to 2 months. For storage, it is placed in the fruit compartment of the refrigerator (“freshness zone”), on the balcony (if the temperature is appropriate), in the basement or cellar.
- The lower the citrus storage temperature, the less juicy it will be in the end. It is better to adhere to the optimal temperature regime of +5°C.
- Overripe fruits cannot be stored at all, so they are bought exclusively for immediate consumption.
- When the fruit, on the contrary, is unripe, it cannot be sent to a cold place. Citrus is left to ripen in a warm place. Moreover, if unripe fruits are among ripe ones, they will ripen faster. But this fruit is able to reach readiness on its own.
- An unripe fruit can be recognized by an uneven or greenish color of the peel and a weak citrus aroma.
You can extend the shelf life of pomelo by applying a small layer of vegetable oil to its surface. The fat film will prevent the evaporation of moisture and will preserve the juiciness of the fruit longer.
Storing brooms on the balcony
If the temperature conditions on the balcony (or basement) are suitable and there is a place protected from light, this can also be a storage option outside the refrigerator shelf.
If the pomelo has a faint citrus aroma and its color is pale green, it is most likely an unripe fruit. Then it should be temporarily placed to bask in the sun for ripening.
Storing cut pomelo in the refrigerator
As mentioned earlier, the large size of the pomelo often does not allow it to be consumed immediately after cleaning.
To store a cut pomelo, you can divide it into pieces and put it in a food container with an airtight lid. You can also first wrap each slice in cling film and then place it in a storage container. Pomelo slices can remain fresh for up to 2 days. But after a day they already begin to dry out.
There is a little trick: before placing the pomelo pieces in a container, you can grease them with sunflower oil and sprinkle them with salt. The fruit will need to be washed thoroughly before use.
The pomelo, cut in half, is wrapped in cling film and placed cut side down on a flat dish and placed in the refrigerator.
More: Features of preparing and storing fruit juice
How to store cut pomelo
It has already been mentioned about the impressive size of the pomelo, so it is sometimes impossible to eat it in one sitting, like other citrus fruits.
Peeled pomelo can be stored for no longer than 1 day in the refrigerator, placed in an airtight food storage container. The slices will not spoil even in two days, but citrus fruits tend to dry out quickly.
By the way, you can dry pomelo slices or buy already dried fruit. At room temperature, dried citrus slices in a container with a tight-fitting lid will be stored for another couple of months. They must be placed in conditions favorable for storage, namely: in a dark and dry place with good air circulation. A cellar or kitchen cabinet is suitable for long-term storage of this dried fruit.
Recycling pomelo
If you are not sure that the citrus will be consumed in the next couple of months, you can preserve it for a longer period by turning it into jam or candied fruit. Dried pomelo peels can also be added to tea, which will make it very fragrant.
Turmeric, cinnamon or pomegranate are often added to pomelo jam, which makes the taste of the delicacy truly unusual and original. Basically, not pomelo slices are used for jam, but the subcortical part and zest.
If in their raw form these components are bitter, then when processed with sugar they will manifest themselves in a refined taste. The jam turns out to be a beautiful amber color and can become your favorite winter sweet for tea.
The pulp and peels of pomelo are used to make candied fruits. To make candied fruits tasty, the fruit is cut into thin strips or small pieces before cooking.
The chopped pomelo is soaked for 10-11 hours before being dipped in hot sugar syrup and then boiled. You can add lemon to the mixture. Dry the cooked pomelo pieces on a paper towel.
Candied fruits can be stored in syrup in a glass jar in the refrigerator and used to make cakes and pies. You can also simply eat them with tea instead of sweets. Dried candied fruits are stored in ordinary boxes lined with paper. You can also store dried candied fruits in a jar, but cover them with a linen napkin. The sales period for candied pomelo is up to 3 months.
How to properly store pomelo
Pomelo is a rather unique fruit and the largest among all citrus fruits: the weight of this beauty can reach ten kilograms! Moreover, this fruit is also very healthy: it contains potassium, limonoids, essential oils and almost all vitamins. If you need to charge your body with energy, quench your thirst or improve your mood, eat at least a couple of pieces of pomelo! And we will tell you how to store it correctly.
How to choose?
First of all, when choosing a pomelo, you should pay attention to the aroma - in ripe fruits the aroma is always pronounced and quite easily felt. Depending on the variety, ripe fruits may have the aroma of pine needles, grapefruit or orange.
The skin of ripened fruits should be evenly colored, without any spots (especially greenish shades, with the exception of purely green fruits). And the upper parts of ripe pomelo should be quite dense, but no more than one centimeter thick. There should be no damage or growths on quality fruits!
Also, when choosing a pomelo, you must take it in your hands - the skin on the fruit should be of the same thickness and not have seals. Seals found on the fruits are evidence that the fruits were improperly stored during the period of full ripening. As a rule, such pomelos are distinguished by mediocre taste, dryness and a huge number of small seeds.
It is better to avoid purchasing fruits colored in burgundy, brownish or reddish tones - such fruits are infected with a rather specific disease that cannot have a negative effect on humans, but has a detrimental effect on the taste of the fruit.
How to store?
Most often, pomelo is stored in cold rooms or in the refrigerator. At low enough temperatures, these bright fruits can be stored for two to four months. And, what is especially valuable, the pomelo does not lose its beneficial properties during storage! True, it is important to remember that the lower the temperature, the faster the fruits will dry out.
The best temperature for safe storage of pomelo is considered to be from zero to eight degrees. But you shouldn’t freeze these fruits - they simply cannot tolerate negative temperatures: when frozen, the pomelo will irrevocably lose not only its consistency, but also its excellent taste.
If you provide the fruit with an influx of fresh air, they will last at least a month even at room temperature. At the same time, sealed packaging for these fruits is strictly contraindicated.
As for peeled fruits, they can be stored for no more than twenty-four hours - after this time they will begin to dry out and gradually lose not only their excellent taste, but also valuable beneficial properties. However, peeled fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but for this they need to be wrapped in cling film or placed in a plastic container.
If the purchased fruits turn out to be quite thick-skinned (and the thickness of their skin can sometimes reach even five centimeters!), do not be upset - you can always make incredibly tasty and very healthy jam from the peel! To prepare such a delicacy, first the skin of the pomelo is soaked for five days, changing its water twice a day. Then the peel is boiled twice - the water should be new each time. Next, sprinkle the cooled peel with sugar and leave to stand overnight, after which one and a half glasses of water are added and cooked in three batches for twenty minutes.
Useful tips
To increase the shelf life of pomelo, as well as reduce the loss of juiciness, you can wrap the fruit in paper or cover the skin of the fruit with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Also, in order for the fruits to be stored better, they must be placed in darkened areas of the apartment.
Overripe fruits are not suitable for long-term storage - they must be eaten as soon as possible.
The best temperature for safe storage of pomelo is considered to be from zero to eight degrees. But you shouldn’t freeze these fruits - they simply cannot tolerate negative temperatures: when frozen, the pomelo will irrevocably lose not only its consistency, but also its excellent taste.
